Tuesday, January 09, 2007

I am going to preface my answers on this week's challenge with my own standing on religion to better understand where my answers are coming from. I was born and raised Catholic. I still consider myself Catholic. However, I do not necessarily believe in the institution of the Catholic Church. My slogan for a bumper sticker says it all -- "Religion is a business. Faith is not."

Should Rubin put aside his religion for a chance to play in the NHL? That's entirely up to him. He has to decide what is more important to him. Unfortunately, we all have to make sacrifices for what we want in life. Religion is no exception. I know most other restrictive religions don't participate in sports for that reason.

Should the league support players who follow a religion to sit out games? It's not like it's a secret on how organized sports work. I think they should allow anyone to play who wants to play. But a player with religious obligations should understand because they will be missing games/practices, it could be detrimental to the team. So if there is some sort of compromise worked out in the beginning and everyone is on board with it, there's no reason to keep the kid from playing.

Should it be up to the GM, coach or player to decide if he should play? All. Again, it's not just about one person. It's about that one person's obligations affecting others (i.e. team, coach, G.M., etc.).

Is it discriminatory to make a player get on the ice?I don't believe anyone can MAKE a player play. But yes, I think it would be discriminatory if a player was 'bullied' into playing against his/her will by his/her G.M., coach or teammates. If the player has chosen not to play, for whatever reason, those wishes should be respected. And that is certainly one major aspect lacking in all professional sports -- respect.